Wine Serving Temperatures

Why Does Wine Need to be Served at a Certain Temperature?

Serving wine at the recommended temperature brings out the best in the wine and allows its flavours and character to really flourish.

What’s the Right Serving Temperature for Wine?

Well, this depends on what wine you’re serving, of course. Our handy diagram, below, has everything you need to know about suitable serving temperatures for each style of wine, but read on for a more detailed explanation.

Red wines vary in style considerably from light and elegant such as Beaujolais all the way to rich, heavy reds such as a Bordeaux or a Malbec. Therefore, serving temperatures can vary dependent on the style you’re drinking.

For rich, full-bodied reds and fortified wines the optimum temperature is between 15 and 18 degrees. Serving at this temperature helps to give the wine a smooth mouthfeel and balance out the tannins and acidity.

Light-bodied, juicy reds are best served slightly cooler at around 12 degrees to bring out the vibrant fruit flavours. This can also help avoid the wine tasting too acidic which can happen if served too warm.

As with red wines, different styles are best served at different temperatures. As a general rule of thumb the paler the wine is in colour, the cooler it should be served as this helps to maintain the freshness and acidity associated with lighter whites.

With this is mind, lighter-bodied, paler whites such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio are best served at around 7 to 10 degrees. This temperature can be achieved by chilling the wine in the fridge for around an hour and a half before serving.

For richer, full-bodied whites such as an oaked Chardonnay or a Viognier, serve at a slightly higher temperature of around 10 to 12 degrees. By doing so, the wines richer and more complex flavours can really be appreciated.

There is nothing worse than a lukewarm bottle of ros­é on a warm summers day. When it comes to these pretty pink wines, you can follow a similar rule to whites, whereby the paler the wine is in colour the cooler it should be served.

For pale pink rosé, such as those from Provence, serve these between 8 and 10 degrees. This will allow the flavours to flourish and the wine to remain bright and crisp.

For slightly richer styles such as a Spanish rosé or perhaps a white Zinfandel, serve these a couple of degrees warmer at around the 10 to 11 degrees mark. This will help to bring out the more complex flavours and the mild tannins.

It’s probably no surprise that a bottle of bubbly needs to be chilled before serving. However, its not just a case of the colder the better. The style of fizz needs to be taken into consideration.

Prosecco and non-vintage Champagne are often best served between 6 and 8 degrees. This helps the bubbly thrive in all its glory and brings out the fresh citrus notes of the wine and the crisp acidity. It also stops the wine tasting flat and maintains the fizz.

Vintage Champagne on the other hand can be served a little warmer between 8 and 10 degrees, enhancing those slightly warmer flavours and notes of toast and biscuit.

It’s crucial that dessert wines are served at the correct temperature. Served too warm and these wines can taste excessively sweet and rich, however if you serve them too cold then the flavours produced by these wines can become hidden.

With that in mind it’s best to serve these wines at approximately 7 degrees. This is cool enough to keep the wine tasting light, yet not ice cold that the flavours are camouflaged.